Similar to the calendar, we humans cycle through different seasons in our lives.

A new season represents transition and change.

There are always pros and cons involved with change. The sunshine and lazy days of summer also come with mosquitos and excessive heat - well that’s the case in Houston anyway.

And even though the winter might involve skiing and snowmen, it can also be dreary, gray and depressing.

The same is true for new parenting seasons as well. Babyhood involves so many honeymoon moments. AND it’s also known as baby boot-camp because it’s freaking exhausting!

There's a reason sleep deprivation is used to torture prisoners of war. Legit!

Many of us excitedly anticipate our babies entering the toddler season. Finally a full night of sleep.

And similar to the mosquitos of summer, toddlers are picky eaters who whine and have frequent meltdowns.

So how do we embrace the new parenting season’s mosquitoes and heat?

I believe that most of our parenting challenges - bedtime battles, morning mayhem, power struggles and picky eating, can usually be linked to entering a new parenting season without a realistic plan.

Just like you wouldn’t head to the beach in Galveston during the month of July without loads of sunscreen and mosquito repellent, (can you tell how much I hate mosquitoes), what’s your plan as you enter your new season with your kiddos?

And even though we didn’t wear sunscreen in the 70’s and 80’s or use bug repellent, those things are now the norm.

If your kids ignore your simple requests, it might be time to evaluate your communication methods. If it feels like your people don’t seem to listen until voices are raised and tempers flare, it’s because the outdated model for raising kids is not effective in this new season upon us.

Our world is very different. It's a new season.

Let’s say you decide to wear your winter clothes in May because you grew up in Chicago and May in Illinois is still sweater weather.

Well now that you live in Texas, that beautiful cashmere sweater feels like pure sweaty misery if you wear it in May.

The seasons are very different in these two states.

Well the same is true for raising kids during the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and even the 2000’s.

The parenting wardrobe that was perfectly comfortable during those seasons are producing miserable results in your current seasonal environment.

The old parenting conversation, the way most of us were raised, was designed for a different season. It was simply the way things were done back when.

The history of the old parenting model is rooted in a world where the objective was to raise compliant factory workers...be obedient, listen to authority and keep your mouth shut so you will grow up and have job security.

I have yet to meet a parent that dreams of their kid growing up to live a life wearing baby blue zip up jumpsuits and punching a time clock. No, no. We are raising innovators, thought leaders and problem solvers.

The old parenting conversation involved threats, rewards, punishment and bribes because that season for parenting in our country was preparing our kids for a simpler season.

A simpler world.

This new season involves a “new parenting conversation” where you’ll experience cooperation without aggression.